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Nanomaterials
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Carbon nanostructure for energy storage and conversion
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Carbon nanostructure for energy storage and conversion

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 August 2018) | Viewed by 25933

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Vijay Kumar Thakur

grade E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Biorefining and Advanced Materials Research Centre, SRUC, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
2. Enhanced Composites and Structures Center, School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing, Cranfield University, Cranfield MK43 0AL, UK
Interests: biorefining, chemistry, nanotechnology, biomass, and waste; biomedical engineering; composites; sensors; manufacturing of functional materials; aerospace materials; nanomaterials; renewable energy; smart materials; surface engineering; water science and engineering; additive manufacturing of polymers and composites; multifunctional polymer composites and nanocomposites: self-healing, nanoelectronic materials; hydrogels; membranes; nanofiber; composites for extreme environments and manufacturing technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The application of carbon materials dates back from the past decades, sighting a speedy scientific importance incited by the innovations in carbon-based nanostructured materials. The most popular nanomaterials of the carbon family to date are fullerenes, CNTs, and graphenes, with dimensions ranging from 0.5 to 100 nm. These carbon-based nanomaterials possess unique and novel properties, such as remarkable mechanical strength, electrical conductivity, and optical, chemical, and thermal properties due to their unique and intriguing size. The prime advantages of the carbon nanomaterials include high surface-area-to-volume ratio and unique thermal, optical, mechanical, and electrical properties to name a few. The characteristic structures of carbon-based nanomaterials promote them to interact with another material for various advanced applications, such as in energy storage and conversion.

The present Special Issue is aimed at presenting the current state-of-the-art in carbon nanostructures for energy storage and conversion to address the various challenging issues researchers are confronted with in this field.

This Special Issue of Nanomaterials invites innovative contributions in terms of research articles, reviews, communications, and letters from around the globe.

Dr. Vijay Kumar Thakur
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Synthesis of carbon nanostructures: CNTs
  • Graphene
  • Fullerene
  • Electrodes
  • Batteries
  • Supercapacitors
  • Capacitors
  • Fuel Cell
  • Piezoelectric

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 4090 KiB  
Article
A Comparison of Hydrogen Storage in Pt, Pd and Pt/Pd Alloys Loaded Disordered Mesoporous Hollow Carbon Spheres
by Martyna Baca, Krzysztof Cendrowski, Wojciech Kukulka, Grzegorz Bazarko, Dariusz Moszyński, Beata Michalkiewicz, Ryszard J. Kalenczuk and Beata Zielinska
Nanomaterials 2018, 8(9), 639; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano8090639 - 21 Aug 2018
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 4470
Abstract
Comprehensive study to evaluate the ability of hydrogen uptake by disordered mesoporous hollow carbon spheres doped witch metal such as Pt, Pd or Pt/Pd was conducted. They were synthesized facilely using sonication and then calcination process under vacuum at the temperature of 550 [...] Read more.
Comprehensive study to evaluate the ability of hydrogen uptake by disordered mesoporous hollow carbon spheres doped witch metal such as Pt, Pd or Pt/Pd was conducted. They were synthesized facilely using sonication and then calcination process under vacuum at the temperature of 550 °C. The effect on hydrogen sorption at neat-ambient conditions (40 °C, up to 45 bar) was thoroughly analyzed. The results clearly revealed that metal functionalization has a significant impact on the hydrogen storage capacity as the mechanism of gas uptake depends on two factors: metal type and certain size of particles. Thus, functionalized spheres adsorb hydrogen by physisorption forming metal hydrides or metal hydrides combined with hydrogen spillover effect. As a result, a sample with narrower distribution of nanoparticles and smaller specific size exhibited enhanced hydrogen uptake. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon nanostructure for energy storage and conversion)
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17 pages, 34136 KiB  
Article
Sandwich-Type Nitrogen and Sulfur Codoped Graphene-Backboned Porous Carbon Coated Separator for High Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries
by Feng Chen, Lulu Ma, Jiangang Ren, Xinyu Luo, Bibo Liu and Xiangyang Zhou
Nanomaterials 2018, 8(4), 191; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano8040191 - 26 Mar 2018
Cited by 35 | Viewed by 5256
Abstract
Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have been identified as the greatest potential next- generation energy-storage systems because of the large theoretical energy density of 2600 Wh kg−1. However, its practical application on a massive scale is impeded by severe capacity loss resulted from [...] Read more.
Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have been identified as the greatest potential next- generation energy-storage systems because of the large theoretical energy density of 2600 Wh kg−1. However, its practical application on a massive scale is impeded by severe capacity loss resulted from the notorious polysulfides shuttle. Here, we first present a novel technique to synthesize sandwich-type nitrogen and sulfur codoped graphene-backboned porous carbon (NSGPC) to modify the commercial polypropylene separator in Li-S batteries. The as-synthesized NSGPC exhibits a unique micro/mesoporous carbon framework, large specific surface area (2439.0 m2 g−1), high pore volume (1.78 cm3 g−1), good conductivity, and in situ nitrogen (1.86 at %) and sulfur (5.26 at %) co-doping. Benefiting from the particular physical properties and chemical components of NSGPC, the resultant NSGPC-coated separator not only can facilitate rapid Li+ ions and electrons transfer, but also can restrict the dissolution of polysulfides to alleviate the shuttle effect by combining the physical absorption and strong chemical adsorption. As a result, Li-S batteries with NSGPC-coated separator exhibit high initial reversible capacity (1208.6 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C), excellent rate capability (596.6 mAh g−1 at 5 C), and superior cycling stability (over 500 cycles at 2 C with 0.074% capacity decay each cycle). Propelling our easy-designed pure sulfur cathode to a extremely increased mass loading of 3.4 mg cm−2 (70 wt. % sulfur), the Li-S batteries with this functional composite separator exhibit a superior high initial capacity of 1171.7 mAh g−1, which is quite beneficial to commercialized applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon nanostructure for energy storage and conversion)
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10 pages, 2653 KiB  
Article
Converting Corncob to Activated Porous Carbon for Supercapacitor Application
by Shaoran Yang and Kaili Zhang
Nanomaterials 2018, 8(4), 181; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano8040181 - 21 Mar 2018
Cited by 58 | Viewed by 6231
Abstract
Carbon materials derived from biomass are promising electrode materials for supercapacitor application due to their specific porosity, low cost and electrochemical stability. Herein, a hierarchical porous carbon derived from corncob was developed for use as electrodes. Benefitting from its hierarchical porosity, inherited from [...] Read more.
Carbon materials derived from biomass are promising electrode materials for supercapacitor application due to their specific porosity, low cost and electrochemical stability. Herein, a hierarchical porous carbon derived from corncob was developed for use as electrodes. Benefitting from its hierarchical porosity, inherited from the natural structure of corncob, high BET surface area (1471.4 m2·g−1) and excellent electrical conductivity, the novel carbon material exhibited a specific capacitance of 293 F·g−1 at 1 A·g−1 in 6 M KOH electrolyte and maintained at 195 F·g−1 at 5 A·g−1. In addition, a two-electrode device was assembled and delivered an energy density of 20.15 Wh·kg−1 at a power density of 500 W·kg−1 and an outstanding stability of 99.9% capacitance retention after 4000 cycles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon nanostructure for energy storage and conversion)
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3100 KiB  
Article
New Three-Dimensional Porous Electrode Concept: Vertically-Aligned Carbon Nanotubes Directly Grown on Embroidered Copper Structures
by Noemí Aguiló-Aguayo, Roger Amade, Shahzad Hussain, Enric Bertran and Thomas Bechtold
Nanomaterials 2017, 7(12), 438; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano7120438 - 11 Dec 2017
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4258
Abstract
New three-dimensional (3D) porous electrode concepts are required to overcome limitations in Li-ion batteries in terms of morphology (e.g., shapes, dimensions), mechanical stability (e.g., flexibility, high electroactive mass loadings), and electrochemical performance (e.g., low volumetric energy densities and rate capabilities). Here a new [...] Read more.
New three-dimensional (3D) porous electrode concepts are required to overcome limitations in Li-ion batteries in terms of morphology (e.g., shapes, dimensions), mechanical stability (e.g., flexibility, high electroactive mass loadings), and electrochemical performance (e.g., low volumetric energy densities and rate capabilities). Here a new electrode concept is introduced based on the direct growth of vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes (VA-CNTs) on embroidered Cu current collectors. The direct growth of VA-CNTs was achieved by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and there was no application of any post-treatment or cleaning procedure. The electrochemical behavior of the as-grown VA-CNTs was analyzed by charge/discharge cycles at different specific currents and with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. The results were compared with values found in the literature. The as-grown VA-CNTs exhibit higher specific capacities than graphite and pristine VA-CNTs found in the literature. This together with the possibilities that the Cu embroidered structures offer in terms of specific surface area, total surface area, and designs provide a breakthrough in new 3D electrode concepts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon nanostructure for energy storage and conversion)
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6441 KiB  
Article
A Facile Approach to Tune the Electrical and Thermal Properties of Graphene Aerogels by Including Bulk MoS2
by Feng Gong, Xiongxiong Liu, Yunlong Yang, Dawei Xia, Wenbin Wang, Hai M. Duong, Dimitrios V. Papavassiliou, Ziqiang Xu, Jiaxuan Liao and Mengqiang Wu
Nanomaterials 2017, 7(12), 420; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano7120420 - 01 Dec 2017
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 4777
Abstract
Graphene aerogels (GAs) have attracted extensive interest in diverse fields, owing to their ultrahigh surface area, low density and decent electrical conductivity. However, the undesirable thermal conductivity of GAs may limit their applications in energy storage devices. Here, we report a facile hydrothermal [...] Read more.
Graphene aerogels (GAs) have attracted extensive interest in diverse fields, owing to their ultrahigh surface area, low density and decent electrical conductivity. However, the undesirable thermal conductivity of GAs may limit their applications in energy storage devices. Here, we report a facile hydrothermal method to modulate both the electrical and thermal properties of GAs by including bulk molybdenum disulfide (MoS2). It was found that MoS2 can help to reduce the size of graphene sheets and improve their dispersion, leading to the uniform porous micro-structure of GAs. The electrical measurement showed that the electrical conductivity of GAs could be decreased by 87% by adding 0.132 vol % of MoS2. On the contrary, the thermal conductivity of GAs could be increased by ~51% by including 0.2 vol % of MoS2. The quantitative investigation demonstrated that the effective medium theories (EMTs) could be applied to predict the thermal conductivity of composite GAs. Our findings indicated that the electrical and thermal properties of GAs can be tuned for the applications in various fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon nanostructure for energy storage and conversion)
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